


Stormy Night

by vsilver



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Lullabies, M/M, Sparklings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-22 22:49:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9628706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vsilver/pseuds/vsilver
Summary: It’s a restless evening on the ship and the sparklings have a difficult time falling asleep.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote about them having sparklings before but wanted to write more interaction. Also singing. Thanks to mikatron from twitter for this [new gem of a Breakdown detail](https://twitter.com/amblertrail/status/829063783670771712)

Ten sets of tiny optics looked on as their carrier walked around the room mixing their meal. They chirped and rolled from their basket, hungry but excited. 

It was morning and the sparklings were busy waiting for Breakdown, red and yellow optics glued on their food. They had woken up to a lot of movement from the bed where they slept peacefully between their parents and were tenderly placed into a travel basket. It was plush, large enough for the entire brood and then some. 

Breakdown finished mixing the nutrient supplements into the liquified energon and walked back to a table where another large bottle sat. He gave the drink a taste before pouring half of the food in the other bottle, he strapped lids with a mouthpiece on them to hand the spare bottle to the red doctor. The basket was beside Knockout on the bed, arm covered with a towel as he reached for a handful of sparklings with his spare. After the meal they would be taken to the medbay where they would sleep for the entire shift as per usual.

The little bots had grown a bit, one easily the length of a finger. It had been two weeks since their sparklings emerged and Knockout found it less stressful than he anticipated when the couple first learned they were having sparklings, much less ten. It helped that their tiny beepers were well behaved, hardly crying unless they wanted attention or Breakdown was out of sight for too long. They were attached to the blue bot, always needing his protection and reassuring EM field. The doctor couldn’t blame them, after all they had spent so long being carried by his assistant. 

The blue bot sat besides him on the bed and watched as Knockout fed the first group. Breakdown’s frame didn’t allow him to feed the sparklings, much less able to see them past his chassis. It was hard just carrying them in his arms, but he tried. He reached into the basket for the remaining sparklings to rock them as they waited their turn. The remaining restless sparklings chirped their high pitched squeaks, enamoured by the affection. 

Knockout sighed miserably, catching Breakdown’s attention. "Starscream wants me to look over some of the Decepticons today. Seems a surprise encounter, and lack of planning on Starscream’s part, landed them in a big fight with the Autobots. Lots of damage. I won’t be here for the night."

“Well, our sparklings are used to the medbay,” the blue bot turned to Knockout concerned. “Won’t it be fine to keep you company the entire day? If I help it’ll go twice as fast.”

But the doctor shook his head. “No way. Too risky.”

The sparklings had not been introduced to the other Decepticons, Knockout feared they would not be kind to them. The little bots were used to vehicons who were well behaved, but there was no keeping their ‘associates’ from getting aggressive. This was a warship they were on after all, and having young onboard was unprecedented. Besides the lack of experience with tiny bots, the other bots wouldn’t be as receptive to a sparkling’s needs. The red bot was so sure of his doubts because Starscream and the others hadn’t been as good to Breakdown even during the carrying term. He still found it unnerving their warlord did not become furious upon learning about the tiny bots’ existence. Soundwave reassured Knockout not to worry about that. Megatron saw the sparklings as future loyal bots to his cause; it irked the red doctor.

He switched the bottle to a different sparkling. This one squirmed, the biggest in the bunch, as they tried to roll from underneath his arm, looking to Breakdown with those big, pleading yellow optics. Aside from their paint job, they were the spitting image of his conjux. They even snored the same way. It led Knockout to believe Breakdown had also been a clingy sparkling. 

" _Squeak?_ " 

"Fine," he handed the round sparkling to Breakdown who gladly took him with the rest in his arm. They always preferred his partner. 

"You know if any of them become fliers like I was we're gonna need someone to give them the basics," pondered Knockout as he looked to the tiny faces. None of them had a hardened shell of plating yet, all still little soft, gray protoforms with a growing tint of red or blue. Their frames were very delicate, any hard grip would easily dent them. Knockout bit his lip, no one on board seemed to have a delicate touch besides his conjux. 

"Oh. I figured Dreadwing would be a good choice."

" _Dreadwing?_ I might as well have them read a datapad instruction manual. That bot doesn't have an ounce of social skills let alone sparkling care. "

"Well, he was the one to notice I was sparked first."

At that Knockout made a low growl at the back of his throat, annoyed. “That was just luck.”

“All I’m saying is he’s pretty reliable and perceptive. I worked with him often in the last couple of missions when you’ve been stuck in that lab. Megatron must really want that synthetic energon formula from you.”

Knockout gave a dry laugh.

“They don’t bother to tell me just how low our energon reserves are, but try not to dwell on it.” He sighed, lamenting he couldn’t help Breakdown as much with the sparklings during these crucial first weeks. Instead of taking the time off he’d fought for he had returned back to the lab. “With ten extra little mouths to feed the work has just become more urgent.” 

Breakdown looked to the side, a sad and distant look in his optics. “I understand. Just wish you wouldn’t be whisked away so often.”

“I feel the same.” Knockout whispered as he set the sparklings from their arms into the basket. He leaned on Breakdown’s shoulder as he watching his assistant reach in for the next group of sparklings. “It won’t be forever. It’ll be alright.”

 

 

That evening there was a loud downpour going on outside the ship. The Nemisis had found itself at the heart of a wild thunderstorm, wind banging at the roof and thunder rumbling and shaking its walls. It wasn’t new to drive right through terrible flying conditions. Bad weather was normal. Though the sparklings didn’t take it too well.

Breakdown sat at the edge of the bed, optics half online and arms stiff from rocking the cart where the tiny bots were in. Inside a large basket the ten sparklings wailed, afraid and wanting comfort as they sobbed their optics out. 

It had been going on for the last hour, the little beepers restless and not falling back to sleep anytime soon. The poor blue bot had carried them, rocked them, fed them, but nothing soothed the sparklings.

“ _Beeeep! Beeeeep!_ ”

“Still crying?” Knockout asked on the other end of their comm link, sounding just as tired as Breakdown felt. He was almost done patching up the last of the vehicons back in the medbay, trying to hurry. The blue bot just gave a low mumble. 

“They’re so tired, Knockout. But nothing seems to work.”

“Sweetspark _you’re_ tired.”

“That too.”

“You’d think if they can get used to my noisy saw blades they could live with the thunder.”

“Knockout!”

“I’m just saying.”

Breakdown picked up the basket and placed them by the handful on the bed. At least in bed his limbs could get a break. Lying on his side the best way he could he turned to face them. The bruiser closed his optics tightly as he pulled the sheets over their heads and cozied up to his tiny sparklings. Their whimpering quieted as they were pulled close to his chassis, right against his spark. They piled on one another, entranced by the familiar hum. A tired smile formed on the blue bot’s face. 

“Maybe give them something soothing to listen to?”

“Hmm. You don’t mean…”

“Yes.”

“Alright,” whispered Breakdown defeatedly as the tiny optics watched his exhausted face curiously. “But you have to get off the comm link. It’s...embarrassing.”

Knockout smirked. “Don't be silly. Anyway, I’ll see you soon.”

"I'll wait for you."

Their comm cut off as another loud roar of thunder shook the ship, and the sparklings began to cry full force again.

“Squeak! _Squeaaaak!_ ” They tried tucking themselves under his helm, tiny bodies shaking. Breakdown cleared his throat, a bit nervous as he massaged their little backs. He always enjoyed singing the occasional tune during work, but never bothered with lullabies before. With a finger he began to clean at their wet optics, giving them a reassuring smile that everything was alright.

The door flew open, Knockout stepping inside with an armful of energon treats. Breakdown peeked from under the sheets as his conjux a little wave and put the tasty snacks on a counter. A gift to help ease his absence. Breakdown watched as the red bot quickly shuffled towards the bed, lifting the covers to see the weeping sparklings huddled together. 

"Go on," whispered Knockout. "Sing."

The doctor looked down at their little bots, rubbing their puffy wet cheeks before giving light scratches at Breakdown's fins. 

_“Lalalu lalalu, close your eyes_  
_Lalalu lalalu, my little soft fluffy sleepers”_

Growing confident, he reached an arm over to hold them tight. Knockout tucked his face into the crook of his partner's neck, humming along. 

_“Lalalu lalalu, oh little beepers_  
_I’ll sweep the stardust for you”_

As they stroked them, their quivering stopped. Their sire dried their wet faces, warm from the crying. Then they looked to their singing parent, captivated by their carrier’s light tone. Despite wind mercilessly banging on the roof the sparklings gurgled happily, closing their tired optics.

_“Sparkling mine, dont u cry_  
_Darling mine, dry your eyes_  
_Rest your head close to my spark, dont u cry”_

_“Let those eyes sparkle and shine_  
_Never a tear, sparkling of mine”_

He whispered the verses over and over and soon he fell asleep along with the tiny bots that purred, safely tucked into his rack. Knockout massaged at his conjux's fins as he offlined his optics too, storm outside raging on.


End file.
